Two new kits are on the horizon but I am not telling the whole story just yet.

After the LMS 4F I have a new project which may be delivered in March. This will be a relatively simple kit but just a bit more of a stretch than the two 0-6-0s from Connoisseur. A natural progression in terms of developing my skill set. Most important, no outside valve gear!

But the one that follows may well be a challenge. After an exchange of emails today I received a set of comprehensive instruction manuals in PDF form. I consider this to be a pre-requesite before spending around £500 on a kit plus wheels plus motor/gearbox plus all the little extras that make a fine kit-built locomotive. The instructions show that I will indeed be stretched and the build time will be in months rather than weeks. But the results should be well worth while.

As before, both the actual prototypes will have a provenance from the West Midlands - either shed codes 3 or 21, ex-LNWR and ex-MR respectively. For this I am very much indebted to the website rail-online.co.uk with their comprehensive photo library and corresponding titles/comments. The photos have been most useful in helping to select options and variations for the two Connoisseur models and at £1.50 for a digital download each photo can tell a good, accurate story for the prototype modeller.

Meantime, the body of the 4F goes from strength to strength with fitting of the white metal castings. A rainy day precluded any spraying but I am thinking about a spray booth made of an old bed sheet. Necessity is indeed the mother of invention.